Solar limb darkening 1986–1990 (λλ303 to 1099 nm)

The Sun's limb darkening was observed repeatedly between the 1986 minimum and the 1990 maximum of solar activity.Systematic variations, which could depend either on the momentary activity and/or the phase in the solar cycle, werenot detectable, either at continuum wavelengths or in two broad-band spectral intervals. Completelyirregular variations, which concern not only individual, successive scans (due to granulation, etc.), but also thedaily andseasonal averages, are usually less than 1%, but can reach occasionally 2% or even more. Minoreast-west asymmetries even in the seasonal means seem to be well established, mainly for λ < 400 nm. Thefinal, mean limb-darkening coefficients agree basically with those published by Pierce and Slaughter (1977) and Pierce, Slaughter, and Weinberger (1977), but show a much lower scatter when plotted against wavelength.